Punching-machine.



No. 779,369. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

- J. E. MELVIN.

PUNGHING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1904.

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I PUNGHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE15, 1904.

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4 Wm I UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUNCHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,369, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed June 15, 1904. Serial No. 212,645. I

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known thatLJosErH E. MELVIN, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Millvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Punching- Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to punching-machines, and relates particularly to that class of machines employed for perforating or punching loose sheets of paper; and the invention has for its object to construct a machine of this type in which the paper is perforated, and at the same time a reinforcing patch or washer is affixed to the paper surrounding the perforation, so as to strengthen the paper at" the perforated point.

In the employment of loose-leaf ledgers it is the practice to perforate each sheet of the ledger and place the sheets upon pins or posts, whereby these sheets may be readily removed. This is also practiced quite extensively in connection with the various systems of bookkeeping, such as bill-files and the like, and as the sheets are perforated at a point adjacent to one edge the handling of the sheets frequently causes the sheets to become torn at the perforation and rendered useless for further use in connection with the ledgers or files.

The main object of my invention resides in employing means to punch or perforate the sheets at the desired points, and simultaneously with the punching or perforating of the sheets I perforate a reinforcing patch or washer which is secured upon the paper surrounding the perforation made therein, whereby the liability of the paper tearing and thus becoming loose in its binder is reduced to a minimum.

The construction employed to accomplish the above results will be hereinafter described in detail, and referring to the drawings accompanying this application like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevational view of the mechanism used for controlling the movement of the tape. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the cross-head constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the operating-bar. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line :0 x of Fig. I. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a piece of tape that has been perforated by my improved machine. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a piece of paper that has had a perforation formed therein and a washer or reinforcement, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a piece of paper perforated and reinforced in accordance with my invention.

To put my invention into practice, I employ a suitable platform or table 1, which may be supported by legs or brackets 2 2, and it is upon this table or platform that I mount my improved machine. The machine proper consists of the vertical standards 3 and 4, which are placed a suitable distance apart, and in the upper end of said standards are journaled the shafts 5 5, and upon the outer ends of each shaft is mounted a gear-wheel 6, and upon the inner end of each shaft is keyed a cam 7, each cam being provided with a cam-path 8, and in said cam-path and upon the cam is mounted a lug 9, or this cam-path may be made irregular to accomplish the desired results. Formed in the standards directly beneath the shafts 5 5 are the recesses 10 10, these recesses being exposed upon the inner sides of the standard, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and upon the outer side of the standards adjacent to the recesses I secure plates 11 11 by screw-bolts 12 12. In said recesses is mounted the cross-head 14:, said cross-head being cut away upon its under face, as shown in Fig. 3, and designated by the reference-numeral 15. This cross-head centrally of its length is provided with an enlarged portion 16, having a slot 17 formed therein, the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described. In each end of the cross-head 1e are provided the apertures 18 18, whiclr communicate with the recess formed in the under face of the crosshead, and in these apertures are mounted pins 19 19, said pins resting upon a bar 20, this bar fitting within the recess of the cross-head, and where said bar crosses the enlarged portion 16 of the cross-head it is bent outwardly, as indicated at 21 and shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This bar is supported in the cross-head by spiral springs 22, mounted in the recesses 10 10, and each of these springs is mounted upon a pin 23, which is carried by a screw-threaded shank 24, this screw-threaded shank passing through a screw-threaded aperture 25, formed in the overhanging portion 26 of the standards.

Formed integral with the bar 20 are the downwardly-extending plungers 27 27, these plungers fitting into sleeves 28 28, which are carried in the blocks 29 29, said blocks being secured by screw-bolts and nuts 30 30 to the paper-receiving block 31. The block 29 is provided with a depending portion 32, and in the under face of this depending portion is formed aslot33, and communicating with the slot 33 is the vertical opening 34, in which a sleeve 28 is mounted. The paper receiving block is provided with a slot 35 in its upper face to receive the depending portion 32 of the block 29, and this paper-receiving block is mounted in a slot 36, formed in the table or platform of the machine.

The reference-numeral 37 indicates a depending lug carried by the paper-receiving block 31, and this lug fits in aslot 38, formed in the bottom of the slot 36, and in the depending lug 37 is formed a screw-threaded aperture to receive the screw-threaded shank 39 of the thumb-nut 40, a nut 41 being interposed between the body portion of the thumb and the lug 37, and it is by the use of this nut that the paper-receiving block and the block 29 may be adjusted upon the table or platform to any desired position, the position to which it is adjusted depending upon the width of paper which is to be provided with apatch and perforated, the distance apart of the patches and perforations depending upon the position of these blocks.

The paper-receiving block is provided with a slot 42 to receive the paper to be perforated, and communicating with this slot and the slot 33 of the block 29 is an aperture 43, the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The standards 3 and 4 are provided with the enlarged bosses 44 44, in which is journaled the main operating-shaft 45, this shaft being provided upon its one end with a gear-wheel 46, which is adapted to mesh with the gearwheel 6 of the shaft 5, and upon the outer side of this gear-wheel is mounted a handwheel 47. Upon the other end of the shaft is mounted a gear-wheel 48, which is adapted to mesh with the gear-w,heel 6 of the shaft 5, and on the extreme outer end of the shaft 5 is mounted the belt-wheel 49, and formed integral with the collar of said belt-wheel is a pin 51, and interposed between the beltwheel 49 and the gear-wheel 48 is a springactuated clutch 52, which is governed by a rod 53, this rod being mounted in a bracket 54, secured to the standard 4 by bolts and nuts 55. The rod 53 is provided with a head 56, which is adapted to engage the cam-surface 57 of the clutch, and the rod extends through the table or platform and has its lower end bent outwardly, as indicated at 58, to form a lever whereby the same may be operated. Interposed beween the gear-wheel 48 and the rear face of the cam-surface 57 is a spring 59, which when the lever 53 is out of engagement with the cam 57 said spring will normally hold the pins 60 of the clutch in engagement with the pins 51 of the belt-wheel 49. While I have herein shown this specific form of clutch, I wish it to be understood that I do not care to limit myself to this special form, but may employ any desired form of clutch to accomplish the desired results.

The standards 3 and 4 are provided with upwardly-extending lugs 61 62, and in these lugs is secured a rod 63, which is screwthreaded upon its ends and receives the nuts 64 64. This rod centrally of its length and in vertical alinement with the enlarged portion 16 of the cross-head 14 is provided with a collar 65, upon the upper face of which is formed a boss 66, and in this boss is journaled a shaft 67, and upon the rear end of the shaft is mounted a gear-wheel 68, while upon the other end of the shaft is mounted the flanged hollow drum 69, the periphery of this drum being in vertical alinement with the slots 17 of the cross-head 14, and the side of said drum is provided with a slot 70, and in said drum is pivotally mounted a cam-lever 71. Interposed between the boss 66 and the flanged hollow drum 69 is a wheel 72, around which is mounted a band-spring 73, both ends of said band-spring being secured to the collar 65, the one end being loosely mounted and secured by a screw 74, whereby the rotation of the shaft may be governed by the tension of the spring 73 upon the wheel 72.

Upon the shaft 45 adjacent to the boss 44 is mounted a toothed cam-wheel 76, and adapted to engage this toothed cam-wheel is the camshaped end 77 of a rod 78, this rod being mounted in a bracket 79, secured upon the rod 63, which, as heretofore stated, is mounted in the upwardly-extending lugs 61 62. The bracket 79 is provided with the lugs 80 80, through which the rod 78 passes, and interposed between the collar 81 of the rod 78 and the lug 80 is a spiral spring 82, and upon the outer end of the rod 78 is secured the yoke 83, in which is pivotally mounted by a pin 84 the lever 85, that has its outer end pivotally secured, as indicated at 86, to an upwardly-extending lever 87, which in turn is pivotally connected to a lever 89, this lever being pivotally mounted by a pin to the crank-lever 91, which is carried upon the shaft 67, mounted in the boss 66 of the collar 65. This cranklever 91 has pivoted in its upper end a pawl 92, which is spring-pressed by a spring 93, this spring normally holding the pawl in engagement with the gear-wheel 68 of the shaft 67.

The collar is provided with a depending bracket 94, this bracket extending downwardly in the rear of the cross-head 14, and in the lower end of the bracket 94 are mounted pins 95, upon which are journaled rollers 96. Upon each end of the table or platform I provide upwardly-extending brackets 97, in which are journaled the spools 98, these spools being provided with outwardly-extending arms 99 and are adapted to carry the tape 100.

The reference-numerals 101 101 indicate receptacles which are secured on the outer ends of the table or platform 1, and in these receptacles are mounted wheels 102 102 and rollers 103 103, these receptacles containing water or a suitable liquid.

The reference-numerals 104 104 indicate brackets which are secured upon the inner sides of the blocks 29, and in these brackets are journaled rollers 105 105.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The ends of the tape which is carried upon the spools 98 are carried under the rollers 103 of each of the receptacles 101, over the wheels 102 102, under the rollers 103, through the slots 33 of the blocks 29, under the rollers 105 105 of said blocks upwardly at an angle and around the rollers 96, carried in the bracket 94 of the machine. The tape is then carried upwardly through the slots 17 of the cross-head 14 and is wound around the outer side of the drum 69, carried through the slots 70, formed in the sides of said drum, and is secured against the inner sides of the drum by the cam lever 71. The tape having been placed in this position in the machine a piece of paper to be provided with a reinforcing patch or washer is now inserted in the slot 42 of each of the paper-receiving blocks, the po sition and space between these blocks having been first determined by the nature of the work to be performed by the machine. In perforating and providing a sheet of paper with reinforcing patches or washers these patches and perforations are generally made upon the top edge of the sheet of paper and at an equal distance from each side of the paper, and to govern the position of the paper within the machine I have provided the guide or gage 106, which is adjustable by a screw 107 in the slot 108, formed longitudinally of the table. The edge of the sheet to be perforated and provided with a washer is placed against this guide and forced into the slots 42 of the paperreceiving blocks, at which time the clutch is drawn into engagement with the belt-wheel 49 by depressing the lever 58 of the rod 53, the spring 59 of the clutch forcing said clutch into engagement with the pin 51 of the collar 50. any'suitable source of power, which is belted to the wheel'49, and upon the shaft 45 rotat ing a rotary movement is imparted through gears 46, 48, and 6 6 to the shaft 5, which carry on their inner ends the cams 7 7, and upon these cams rotating the cross-head 14 is forced downwardly, carrying with it the sleeve 28, the lower end of which forms the patch-die that cuts the patch out of the strip of tape 100, which passes underneath it, this patch, as designated by the reference-numeral 109, being forced down through the aperture 43 onto the sheet of paper, the patch adhering thereto, owing to the tape having an adhesive material upon its under face, this adhesive material of the tape being dampened as it passes under and over the rollers of the waterreceptacle 101, at which time upon further rotation of the cams 7 the lugs 9, mounted in the cam-path of each of the cams, will engage the pins 19 19, resting upon the bar 20, and as these lugs engage said pins they are forced downwardly in the apertures 18 18, forcing the bar 20 downwardly, which depresses the plungers 27 27, the lower end of these plungers forming the perforating-die, which perforatesthe reinforcing-patch in the sheet of paper, these plungers passing down through the sleeve 28 and engaging the patch and the sheet of paper'and providing the same with an aperture 110, the product of this operation being clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. As a further rotation is given to the cams 7 the springs 22 22 in the recesses 10 10 will return the bar 20 and the cross-head 14 to their normal position, and as a rotary movement is being imparted at the same time to the shaft45 the toothed cam 76 will engage the cam-shaped end 77 of the rod 78, forcing the same outwardly and rotating the gearwheel 68 by means of the pawl 92 being held in engagement with the teeth of the gearwheel, and upon the cam-surface of the toothed wheel 76 further rotating the spring 82 will force the rod 78 rearwardly, carrying" with it the crank-lever 91, the pawl 92 traveling over the teeth of the gear-wheel and engaging in another tooth, remaining in this position until the cam 76 again revolves and forces the rod 7 8 forward to rotate the gear-wheel. After each sheet of paper has been provided with a reinforcing patch or washer and perforated this operation takes place in order to move a new strip of tape in position, whereby another patch may be placed upon another sheet of paper, the tape from which the patch has been out being wound upon the drum 69, the proper rotation of the drum having been imparted to it through the medium of the cam 76, rod 78, crank-lever 91, and pawl 92, as heretofore described. This operation just described is continuous and the sheets of paper to be provided with patches and perforations are fed into the paper-receiving blocks and when in this posi- Motion is imparted to the machine by tion are provided with the reinforcing patches or washers and at the same time provided with the perforations which are essential to sheets of paper which are used in loose-leaf ledgers, files, and the like, and while I have herein shown the necessary construction and combination of parts to accomplish the desired results I wish it to be understood that I do not care to limit myself to the specific construction of the machine shown and described, but may vary the same, as will be permissible by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a punching-machine, the combination with a table, of dies adjustably mounted upon said table, means for intermittently feedinga strip of tape through said dies, means for automatically moistening said tape, means for cutting a patch from said tape and applying said patch to a sheet of paper placed in the die, and means for automatically perforating the patch and paper after the patch has been affixed to the paper.

2. In apaper-punching machine, the combination with a table, of dies adjustably mounted in said table, means for automatically feeding a strip of tape through said dies, means for automatically moistening said tape, means carried by each die and operated by a cross-head for severing a patch from the tape and securing the same to a sheet of paper placed in the die, and means for intermittently operating said cross-head, substantially as described.

3. In apaper-punchingmachine, the combination with a table, of dies adjustably mounted upon said table, means for automatically and intermittently feeding a strip of tape through each die, means for moistening said tape, means carried by each die and operated by a cross-head for cutting a patch from said tape and applying the same to a sheet of paper placed in said dies, and means for vertically reciprocating said cross-head, substantially as described.

4. In a paper-punching machine, the combination with dies, of means for automatically and intermittently feeding a strip of tape through each die, means for moistening said tape, means carried by said dies for cutting a patch from said tape and applying the same to a sheet of paper placed in the dies, means for perforating said patch and paper after the patch has been applied to the paper, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a table, of dies carried by said table, means for automatically and intermittently feeding a strip of tape through each die, means for moistening said tape, means carried by said die to cut a patch from said tape and applying the same to a sheet of paper placed in said dies, means carried by said dies for perforating said patch and paper after the patch has been affixed to the paper, and means for imparting vertical reciprocatory movement to said dies, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, comprising a table, vertical reciprocating means carried thereby, actuating means therefor, dies adjustably mounted in said table, plungers carried by the dies, means for limiting the movement of the inner plungers with respect to the exterior ones, one of said plungers in each die adapted to be actuated by the reciprocating means to sever and affix a patch from a tape fed through said dies upon a sheet of paper in said dies, and the other of the plungers adapted to perforate simultaneously the patch and the paper after the patch has been applied thereto, substantially as described.

7 In a machine of the type set forth, comprising in combination with a table, a vertical reciprocating cross-head mounted thereon, operating means therefor, adjustablymounted dies carried by said table, means mounted on said tablefor supporting rolls of tape, means for intermittently feeding the tape through said dies, moistening-receptacles carried by said table through which said tape is fed, plungers mounted in said dies, means carried by said dies to limit the movement of one plunger in respect to the other, an adjustable means carried by said plungers for limiting the independent movement of one plunger in relation to the other plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH E. MELVIN. Witnesses:

H. (J. EVERT, E. E. POTTER. 

